Trigger iPhone Shutter with Bluetooth Headsets, Keyboards

Many volume-changing Bluetooth devices can be used to snap photos remotely. Photo Johan Larsson/Flickr

All of you know that iOS 5 turns the volume-up button on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch into a shutter release button. Just press to snap a photo when using a compatible app (the built in Camera app, for instance). And many of you will know that the volume-up switch on a pair of wired earbuds will also do the trick.

But did you know that some Bluetooth headsets will also trigger the camera? You’ll need to be using a headset that actually changes the volume on the iPhone itself (Bluetooth speakers with their own volume controls like JawBone’s JamBox won’t work), but this effectively gives you a free remote-control shutter made from gear you already have.

Pretty neat, right? But prepare to have your mind blown. This feature also works with a Bluetooth keyboard. That’s right: just pair your iPad or iPhone with any volume-switching keyboard (Apple’s own aluminum model works) and you can shoot stills and video from afar. You can also use the media keys to play back the resulting video, but you have to initiate it using the onscreen play button first.

(Bonus hint: you can also control photo slideshow playback using the keyboard media keys for a poor-man’s “Keynote”).

If you have any Bluetooth devices with volume switches, go test them out and let us know the results in the comments.